understood _literally_, assumes it as an "_established principle_," that
they _all_ do so! "_Participles govern_ nouns and pronouns in the
possessive case, and at the same time, if derived from transitive verbs,
_require_ the noun or pronoun following to be in the objective case,
_without the intervention of the preposition of_; as 'Much depends on
_William's observing the rule_, and error will be the consequence of _his
neglecting it_;' or, 'Much _will_ depend on the _rule's being observed by
William_, and error will be the consequence of _its being
neglected_.'"--_Hiley's Gram._, p. 94. These sentences, without doubt, are
_nearly_ equivalent to each other in meaning. To make them exactly so,
"_depends_" or "_will depend_" must be changed in tense, and "_its being
neglected_" must be "_its being neglected by him_." But who that has looked
at the facts in the case, or informed himself on the points here in
dispute, will maintain that either the awkward phraseology of the latter
example, or the mixed and questionable construction of the former, or the
extensive rule under which they are here presented, is among "the
established principles and best usages of the English language?"--_Ib._, p.
1.

[348] What, in Weld's "Abridged Edition," is improperly called a
"participial _noun_," was, in his "original work," still more erroneously
termed "a participial _clause_." This gentleman, who has lately amended his
general rule for possessives by wrongfully copying or imitating mine, has
also as widely varied his conception of the _participial_--"_object
possessed_;" but, in my judgement, a change still greater might not be
amiss. "The possessive is often governed by a participial clause; as, much
will depend on the _pupil's_ composing frequently. _Pupil's_ is governed by
the _clause_, '_composing frequently_.' NOTE.--The sign ('s) should be
annexed to the word governed by the _participial clause_ following
it."--_Weld's Gram._, 2d _Edition_, p. 150. Again: "The possessive is often
governed by a participial _noun_; as, Much will depend on the _pupil's_
composing frequently. _Pupil's_ is governed by the participial _noun
composing_. NOTE.--The sign ('s) should be annexed to the word governed by
the participial _noun_ following it."--_Weld's Gram., Abridged_, p. 117.
Choosing the possessive case, where, both by analogy and by authority, the
objective would be quite as grammatical, if not more so; destroying, as far
as possible, all